Circuit-closer.



' Patented June 22, 1915.

WI M FREDERICK WILLIAMS, QF SOMERVILLE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO ACME REGISTER-COMPANY, OF SOMEBVILLE, MASSACHIJ'SETTS, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

To all whom it may concern."

Be it known that I, FREDERICK WILLIAMS,

of Somerville, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, a citizen of the United States, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Circuit-Closers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention is an improvement upon the form of electrical recorder customarily used by employers to register the time ofbegmning and leaving off work, and it 1 s of a type in which each workman has his own key by which a circuit is closed momentarily and a record thereby made upon a dial or tape.

This invention relates to the circuit closer which is individual, each employee having his own instrument operated by his own key, and it will be understood by reference to the drawings, in which I Figure 1 is a plan of a device embodying my invention, the casing being removed.

Figs. 2 and 3 are respectively side and end elevations of a key adapted to be used with my circuit closer. Fig. '4 is a plan, the keycentering housing being removed, the key being shown in section and in locked position. Fig. 5 is a similar view in which the key is shown closing one of the circuits.

Fig. 6 is a similar View showing the key closing the other circuit. Fig. Y is a side elevation, the casing being in section, and Fig. 8 a section on'line 88 of Fig. 1, the key being in place and in condition to be turned.

A is a base made of insulating material on which are mounted two terminals B and C each in close proximity to an arm 03, (P which arms form a forked terminal D. The arms dyd are spring or yielding arms as are also the terminals B and C. The terminals B and C form parts of plates B and G which are mounted on the base A. The terminal D is attached to a housing E also mounted on the base A and slotted as at e to receive the key F.

On the under side of the housing E is a stop a to prevent the key from being turned in the wrong direction, and on the base A is mounted a stud 0; carrying a projecting arm a or ward with which slots 7 in the key must register. The position of the arm differs in the different circuit closers and more than one arm may be used, thus preventing omourr-enosnn. I. o

' Specification of Letters Patent.

any key but the one intended from being used in a particular circuit closer. A socket A in the base receives the end of the key and serves to center it. In addition there is preferably provided a spring rod which will prevent the key from being turned or withdrawn unless the rod is first, withdrawn.

piece G attached to the base and havifli' Patented J une 22, 1915. Application filed May 10,1913. Serial No. 766,711.

This mechanism as shown comlprises a guide I two uprights g, having openings in whic f I I slides the rod H. The 'rod H- ht s a collar 71 held against a pin it by a spi'ing' h, the

other end of the spring resting against theupright 9 so as to hold the rod H in its forward position, the upright 9 serving with the pin it as a stop to control the inward movement of the rod. The front end of the rod H has a jaw as at h to straddle 3 one of the wings f, f of the key F. The other end of the rod has a knob or other convenient handle H by which it may be with drawn to release the key so that it may be turned, and to allow the key after it has been turned to resume a fore and aft position so that it may be withdrawn,

The wings f, f of the key differ slightly in what may be termed their radial length,

one of them extending slightly farther from the axis of the key than the other. This wing may be termed the active or op erating wing which engages either the arm (Z or the arm (I to press it against its opposing terminal to close the circuit. The other I wing f might be termed a stop wing in that its function is to engage the stop al and so prevent the key from being turned in the wrong direction. The manner in which the wing f operates is indicated in Figs. 5 and 6. In Fig. 5 the wing f is causing the en gagement of the arm at with the terminal C. v

In order to accomplish this end, the key is inserted in the keyhole with the wing f in engagement with the jaw k which registers with a portion of the keyhole in the casing K. When the rod H is withdrawn so that the key may be turned, the stop a prevents the key from being turned anti-clockwise.

In turning-gt clockwise it is brought into the position shown in Fig. 5 where it has made the principal contact andthe .wing has come into contact with the stop 6 to prevent the key from being rotated farther.

To bring the key the position shown in Fig. 6, where. has causedgthe contact between theiarm d and. the terminal-B5; the which ;the shape ofjthe" key .must conform,

key is reversed" in the ke banana-11 m withdrawing the rod H the key is again turned clockwise. The wing f 'in this case, because of itsengagement with the steppe}, prevents the turning in the wrong direction and at the same time is not sufliclently long to cause the engagement or contact of the arm d with the terminal-C.- Byreasonofthe directions on. the end of the key, as

shown in Fig. 3, the o erator knows which waytoinsert hiskey III OIdBI to make the proper'record at thecentral stationor .oflice. Thiscircuit closer: may be put18ti any convenient point. and in PIitCtlQQ each venient plac ,ne ar, his Work. It is wired as indicated, the wire 7' running to the in register and the wire 9' running; to the out registerwhich may be in the same station. 3'? is the. wire; which, completes both circuits.

The employee on reaching his instrument inserts his key into the instrument in the position-shown in Fig. 3 zQ-a-so thatthe word in? -is=right side up. Holding back the rod'H he, gives ,thelkey a, turn until the wing f brings up against the stop 6 During its travel the wing f will engage say the arm (1 and} close the circuitthro'ugh the terminal B. Aft er this he withdraws the v key. This, however, cannotdowithout bringing the key into register with the opening or slot 6 and hence without withdrawing the rod as before. This ittakes both ha'mds' of the employee to close the circuit and makethe registeraat theycentral statiorh, When the employee leaves his work he repeats the, above operation except that he reverses the position of the key so that the ng, '7 will rod H p jects, t s' t c d t e a a t by screws 1: orv in any othcr convenient way.

The details of construction ofthis device may be varied without departing from the spirit of this invention, which involves the two sets of terminals, each set capable of being brought into contact byits own por n- 'tion off the key and thenseof wards to em- .ployee has his ow n circuit. closer; which may M be attached to his bench, his desk orany conthus insuringthe use of the right key.

What I claim as my invention is 1. Aidevice of the kind described com- Iprising an insulating base, a forked terminal mounted thereon, two. terminals each "located in proximity to one of the arms of said forked terminal, and 'means whereby either one. of the arms of said forked termis {1&1 maybebroug ht into contact with the ad Jacent terminal, said means comprising a key having Wings of different lengths, the longer wing of said key heing adapted to'engage sald termlnals, inv combination with a stop adapted ,to engage the shorter wing and limit the direction and extentof rotationof .2. Ina device 'oi the kind described, in combination, an insulating base, a forked terminal mounted thereon, two terminals each locatedsin proximity tooneof the arms of saidforked' terminal, a key adapted to be located between the ends of said forked terminal and having wings of different lengths, said wings having slots, a ward adapted to cohjp'erate with said slots, and

a stop adapted to engage saidkey to limit its path vof. rotation.

prising, an insulating base, a forked ter minal mounted thereon, two tGI'IIllIlELlS, one

3. Adeviceof the kind described iconilocatedinprozgimity to each ofthe arms of. sa d iorl'ied term nal, a cas'ing' mounted on sald base and covering said terminals, a-

keyhole in said casing, and a spring-controlled rod provided with a jaw at the inner end thereof mounted to slide into and out ;from said casing and normally registering with the wall'ofilsaidkey-hole to receive a terminal-engaging, key and preventits Toperatlon. v I

4., In a device the kind described in combination, an'insulating base, a forked terminal mounted thereon, two terminals each located i'n'fproximity to one of thearms of said forked terminal, a key adapted to be located between the, ends of said forked terminal and having wings'of difierentlengths, and means whereby when said key is in rotary action it will be prevented from being turned into withdrawing position. f I FREDERICK WILLIAMS. v Witnesses: JAY T. Coon,

AL FAnLIs.

Goples (if this patent first; ohtai nefl rorfive cents each'iby addressing the Commissioner of Estate.

" Wfashingtemlfl. 

